Author Archives: Kent Sterling

NCAA Reveals Penalties for Miami – Oversight Group Not Between Rock and Hard Place; They Are the Rock

by Kent Sterling

UnknownThirty months of work, people fired because of supposed missteps in the investigation, and a lot of hand wringing have netted a loss of nine scholarships and no bowl ban for the University of Miami’s football program.  With this inflatable hammer of justice whacking the Hurricanes, why wouldn’t everyone cheat on some level.

Former head basketball coach Frank Haith is suspended for five games (at Missouri, where he is now head coach, and former basketball assistant Jorge Fernandez receives a two-year show cause penalty (meaning any NCAA member who wants to hire Fernandez during that period would have to show cause why the NCAA should allow it – basically a two year ban).

[Total NCAA penalties at bottom of post.]

If the NCAA ever enjoyed the standing of being the moral standard bearer of college athletics, it isn’t any longer.

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With the publication of “The System”, and multiple other media reports about indifference to the rules at member institutions, the reality is that many programs knowingly break rules.  The hope is that the sheer tonnage of of corruptions will be paralytic for the enforcement staff in Indianapolis.

Add to that the moral low ground the NCAA has staked out in forcing athletes to sign away their licensing as part of the process in signing their annual scholarship paperwork, and Mark Emmert’s group continues to marginalize itself as a regulatory agency.

The Miami investigation has been interesting in that the NCAA finally grew a pair, and paid an attorney to question a witness under oath about violations in a deposition regarding another matter.  I thought this a reasonable tactic to get at a truth that otherwise would have gone unexhumed.

Emmert overreacted to outrage, and fired those involved.  In my very narrow sliver of the world, the truth is the key to everything, and the NCAA deciding that those willing to step outside the norm to compel truthful testimony were not worthy of employment made them appear to be more interested in maintaining the status quo than vigorously investigating.

Whatever happens with the Miami determination, it will be meaningless.  The NCAA knows that its ability to govern is being marginalized on a daily basis, and that if they assess penalties beyond those self-imposed, Miami will likely challenge them.

The investigation has taken 2 1/2 years from beginning to end, and it’s this level of glacial justice that allows coaches and other university personnel the freedom to set their own standards for behavior.  At the salary level most big time coaches enjoy, the amount of cash they can stuff in mattresses over 30 months will pay for a lifetime of show cause orders, and with everyone doing it, what are the odds that the NCAA will pick on them.

Only the stupid stay clean, and only the idiots get caught.

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It’s like speeding on an interstate.  The speed limits aren’t set at the speed at which people can safely travel, so only the unsafe obey them.  The result is that the drivers who break the law by following traffic travel with impunity, while only the reckless and obedient are penalized – the reckless by ticketing for obvious violations, and the obedient by arriving at their destination long after everyone else.

We tend to blame the NCAA for all this corruption and subsequent weakness in enforcement, but the real guilt lies with the university presidents who have no interest in upsetting a very successful apple cart.  Mark Emmert and the rest of those who are in charge of the enforcement of rules and assessment of penalties operate at the pleasure of those they are charged with governing.  Is it any wonder that construct provides an environment of scandal where the rule book is merely a menu of options for deceit, and those who get caught combine stupidity and arrogance in such a profound way, the NCAA has no choice but to hammer them (see Indiana Basketball in 2008).

Need proof that the university presidents aren’t big supporters of the NCAA’s desire to mete out punishment as they see fit?  Here’s the University of Miami President Donna Shalala from February 18th, “We believe strongly in the principles and values of fairness and due process.  However, we have been wronged in this investigation, and we believe that this process must come to a swift resolution, which includes no additional punitive measures beyond those already self-imposed.”

That’s not a ringing endorsement.

The time has come to shred the rule book, and let the renegades run wild.  It’s the only fair answer to the question of how the playing field can be leveled.  The NCAA is very good at performing the administrative duties necessary for universities to operate programs and in running tournaments, but as an organization trusted to investigate and meaningfully punish, they are massive failure.

That isn’t a specific indictment of the current group, but a statement describing the long history of the NCAA.  Cheating has existed since the rulebook was introduced in 1939, and presidents have looked the other way since the day that followed.

Here is the list of penalties from the NCAA’s website:

  • Public reprimand and censure.
  • Three years of probation from October 22, 2013, through October 21, 2016.
Former assistant football Clint Hurtt (as identified in the public report) penalties:
  • A two-year show-cause order from October 22, 2013 through October 21, 2015. The public report contains further details.
  • The committee also adopted penalties imposed by the coach’s current employing university, which are detailed in the public report.
Former assistant football coach Aubrey Hill (as identified in the public report) penalties:
  • A two-year show-cause order from October 22, 2013, through October 21, 2015. The public report contains further details.
Former head men’s basketball coach Frank Haith penalties:
  • A suspension for the first five regular-season games of the 2013-14 season.
  • Attendance at one NCAA Regional Rules seminar at the conclusion of the 2013-14 academic year.
Former assistant men’s basketball coach Jorge Fernandez (as identified in the public report) penalties:
  • A two-year show-cause order from October 22, 2013, through October 21, 2015. The public report contains further details.
Football program penalties
– Reduction of football scholarship by a combined total of nine during the 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.
– Miami may only provide a prospect on unofficial visits complementary tickets for one home game during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
– Self-imposed by the university:
  • Two year bowl ban following the 2011 and 2012 seasons, including the 2012 ACC Championship game.
  • Reduction of official paid visits for 2012-13 by 20 percent to a total of 36 visits.
  • Reduction of fall evaluations in 2012-13 by six (from 42 to 36).
  • Reduction of available contact days during the 2012-13 contact period by 20 percent.
Men’s basketball program penalties
  • Reduction in the number of men’s basketball scholarships by one during the each of the 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.
Additional penalties
  • For all sports, any staff member who sends an impermissible text to a prospect will be fined a minimum of $100 per message, and coaches will be suspended from all recruiting activities for seven days.
  • Further penalties resulting from impermissible texts and phone calls are detailed in the public report.

Reggie Wayne Out for Season; Who’s Next for Indianapolis Colts at WR?

by Kent Sterling

Unbelievably sad to see Reggie Wayne hobble off the field, but in the NFL, it's next man up.

Unbelievably sad to see Reggie Wayne hobble off the field, but in the NFL, it’s next man up.

Back in the day – like two years ago – Bill Polian would announce that a practice squad member had been activated to fill the spot vacated by an injured player, and that would be that.  Current general manager Ryan Grigson is more aggressive than that, so the rumor mill is churning names of receivers to take Reggie Wayne’s spot on the roster.

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Wayne tore his ACL and meniscus last night on play without contact, and he will spend the rest of the season resting and rehabbing, trying to rebuild the strength and agility to return for yet another season of excellence.

Grigson is bold in how he addresses weaknesses.  When running back Vick Ballard went down for the season, he dealt the team’s 2014 first rounder to the Cleveland Browns for 2012 #3 overall pick Trent Richardson.

Josh Gordon, Hakeem Nicks, Greg Jennings, Deion Branch, and several others have been named as possibilities for the Colts to target.  All are longshots generated by a quick look at the rosters of teams whose hopes for a playoff berth after week seven are gone.  Let’s engage is this silly game for a minute, because without a listening device in Grigson’s office, we have no earthly idea what the hell he’s thinking.

Teams that are finished for 2013 include the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and because of the loss of franchise QB Sam Bradford the St. Louis Rams.  Kellen Clemens is a really nice guy, but he’s not Bradford.

  • The Giants have a healthy bunch of wide receivers who will go wasted through the rest of the miserable 2013 collapse.  Hakeem Nicks is only 25 (seems like he should be older, doesn’t it?), and will be a free agent at the end of the season.  His cap number of $3.7M is close to prohibitive, but he’s the kind of player who would fit well.  Nicks has expressed an interest in testing the market as a free agent.  None of the rest fit as targets or potential offerings.
  • The Vikings have Jennings, who signed a five-year, $45 million deal prior to this season can be eliminated from the sweepstakes.  There is no way the Colts can find a suitable hiding place for that level of cap space.  Jerome Simpson and Cordarelle Patterson join him.  Simpson will be a free agent in 2014, and comes with a relatively light $2.1M cap number, but no way that the Vikings will part with rookie first rounder Patterson.
  • Deion Branch is a local guy who has kept himself in shape just in case the phone rings, but the phone rang last year, and Branch didn’t do too much for the New England Patriots despite a lost history with Tom Brady.  Financially, it fits because employed is better than unemployed, and he would require no compensation in trade because of his unemployment.  The downside is that no one in the NFL wanted to take a flyer on him.
  • Some are speculating that Josh Gordon would be a good target, and he would be if not for his status with the NFL as a one more strike and he sits for a full year.  That’s a deal breaker.  Gordon reportedly tested positive for marijuana three times at Baylor, and failed a codeine test while with the Browns.  Is he crazy talented?  Yes, but because of that size and ability, if the Browns have any hope for Gordon, they can’t trade him.
  • The Rams would be an interesting partner if they had a wide receiver who fit the veteran role the Colts have available.  Their wideouts – Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, Austin Pettis, Chris Givens, and Brian Quick are all young and unpolished – the opposite of Wayne.
  • Kenny Britt has been mentioned, so he’s listed here, but trading within the division is very rare for good reason.  Same with the entire group in Jacksonville.  Justin Blackmon has great talent, but no one would be crazy enough to deal him.

No matter what happens, the Colts will not be able to replace Wayne with a similar talent.  The work ethic and chemistry with Andrew Luck cannot be replaced.  With the Colts at 5-2, and the trade deadline just eight days away, the clock is ticking.

If a trade or free agent signing isn’t forthcoming, get ready for a combination of LaVon Brazill, Da’Rick Rogers, and Griff Whalen to join T.Y. Hilton and Darrius Heyward-Bay as targets for the burgeoning greatness of Andrew Luck.

If I were a betting man, and as you heard during my picks on Saturday’s “Ahead of the Curve,” (1070 the Fan – Indianapolis), it’s a damn good thing I’m not, my bet would be Nicks.  He fits best, and without any guarantee that Wayne comes back, it would be smart to bring him in and establish a relationship if a long term deal begins to make sense.

Indianapolis Colts – Jim Irsay’s Tweets Show It’s Time for Someone to Tell Him a Different Version of the Truth

by Kent Sterling

Like any billionaire, Indianapolis Colts Owner Jim Irsay has a lot of people near him who nod up and down all damn day telling him how smart he is.  It’s time for some tough love for a good man.

There are people on Twitter who like to share their thoughts, and others who get a thrill out of poking a big bear.  Colts owner Jim Irsay is a big bear and people like to take shots at him periodically to see if they can get a rise out of him.

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That’s what makes Twitter dangerous, although not for Irsay because owners are bulletproof.  Irsay is beyond being fired for irrational tweets, and that’s a good thing.  People pay attention to Irsay’s tweets because he shares often, whimsically, and occasionally with some ill-temper.

He also answered those who believed him to be drunk last night.  There was a shot of Irsay in his suite as he ranted and gestured wildly.  I would never accuse anyone of being drunk or drugged because of a seven second piece of video.  It’s irresponsible and mean-spirited, but others inferred substance abuse based on what they saw.

Dan Dakich replied to an Irsay claim that jealousy fuels the attacks.

It’s odd that the rich often use words like “jealousy” and “envy” to explain why they are disliked.  That they see their lives as somehow more valuable because of their money is strange.  I’ve known a lot of rich people and a lot of poor people, and I’ve never noticed any correlation between money and happiness – or money and the ability to live a worthy life.

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I have no envy for Irsay at all.  The majority of people he talks to are nice to him because they want something from him.  So often, the wealthy incorrectly assess the quality of the people with whom they deal.  “He’s a great guy!” is something I’ve heard the wealthy say to describe the absolute worst people I’ve ever met.  No, they are great guys to you because they want something from you.  That means that trust is almost impossible, and life is lonely.

Here are a couple of pointers for Jim Irsay:

  • Don’t tweet anything but trivia for prizes – implying that people should be jealous of you is petty, cheap, and presumptive.
  • Don’t trust anyone because you can’t.  When you pay people, most do what will please you because of the cash – not because they like and respect you.
  • Understand that every time you draw attention to yourself, people are going to mock you.  That’s the way the media works.  If you are going to talk, you should understand that many people are going to be confused by what you say.  You are a smart guy, but your logic is circuitous, and you take 15 minutes to answer simple questions.  Nothing wrong with that, but the media deals in :15 soundbites, and picking a single sentence that answers the question is going to cause problems because it will be incomplete.
  • Don’t sit in the dark during games – it makes people believe you have something to hide.  Controlling your behavior shouldn’t be so difficult that people seeing it is a concern.
  • Don’t credential yourself.  Bill Polian quoted Marv Levy last week, saying, “Your actions will always speak louder than your words.”  The proof is always in the pudding, and you have shown a wonderful acumen for letting your football people make football decisions.    Hire great people and give them the tools necessary to do their jobs at the highest level, and then get the hell out of the way.  Tweeting as you did below is ridiculous.

Owning is lonely because who tells you that you are doing a good job?  The reward is in the joy your leadership provides your employees.  That is going to have to be your validation because you can’t trust praise from underlings.

No cash needed for the unsolicited advice.  I’m good just like I am.

Indianapolis Colts – Response to Reggie Wayne’s Injury Will Be Ryan Grigson’s Biggest Test

by Kent Sterling

Ryan Grigson attacks roster issues the same way he blocked opposing defensive lineman while an OT at Purdue.

Ryan Grigson attacks roster issues the same way he blocked opposing defensive lineman while an OT at Purdue.

The Indianapolis Colts entered the season hoping that running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Vick Ballard would share the load in the backfield, and tight end Dwayne Allen would be a force as a receiver in his second year.

Who could have imagined that the two-headed monster carrying the Colts running game would would be Trent Richardson and Donald Brown, a guy who appeared destined to be cut during camp?  Allen has been replaced by Coby Fleener, who is growing into the role of starting tight end.

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And now, future hall of famer Reggie Wayne is getting an MRI this morning to determine the extent of the knee injury he suffered last night in the fourth quarter.  Center Samson Satele didn’t finish the either, and several other Colts left the game with a variety of injuries.

That’s potentially a lot of weapons for Colts GM Ryan Grigson to replace.  Reconfiguring the roster is usually done through the draft, but his work in the year and a half since succeeding Bill Polian as the chief architect has been relentlessly out of necessity.

In a league where trades are few and far between, Grigson has completed trades that have acquired Richardson, cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Cassius Vaughn, linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, return specialist/receiver T.Y. Hilton, David Reed, defensive tackle Montori Hughes, fullback Stanley Havili, cornerback Josh Gordy, linebackers Moise Fokou, Greg Lloyd, and Cam Johnson, and several others.

That’s more trades than many GMs make in a career.  The NFL isn’t like Major League Baseball, where trades occur frequently.

The toughest challenge will be providing quarterback Andrew Luck with a replacement security blanket.  Wayne was good for an automatic minimum of three catches per game.  He owns the record for consecutive games with three catches – 71.  He is also third all-time in consecutive starts by a wide receiver with 189.  When times were tough, Luck has always been able to look for #87.

It’s not just a matter of replacing Wayne’s precise feet and down pillow soft hands, but the leadership, calm, and sense of purpose Wayne brings to the team.  They can go next man up, and line up LaVon Brazill in the slot with T.Y.Hilton and Darrius Heyward-Bey wide, or they can talk to free agents like Laurent Robinson or Devery Henderson who are looking for one more shot.  Grigson might target someone for a trade, but there are fewer and fewer assets at his disposal because of previous deals.

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Grigson has shown that he’s all in for this year, and with the bye week coinciding with the October 29th trade deadline, the timing is right for Grigson to make yet another deal to buffet his receiving corp and offensive line.

The Colts appear to be on the precipice of something very special.  They have shown an ability to be the NFL’s very best at home, and with a two game lead over the Tennessee Titans and three game advantage over the Houston Texans, an AFC South Championship is a split against those two rivals away from reality.

Without Sam Bradford, the Rams will be easy prey on November 10, and the season ending tilt at Lucas Oil Stadium between the Colts and Jaguars would seem to be low hanging fruit for the Horseshoes.  Those wins combined with the splits would give the Colts nine wins without talking about the road games against the Cardinals, Bengals, or Chiefs or considering the possibility that they might sweep the Texans and Titans.

Every game for which Luck is healthy is winnable for the Colts, and that means a chance to advance in the playoffs.  After beating the two favorites to reach the Super Bowl at home during the past three weeks, the Colts might be one more trade away from greatness.

Grigson likes to pull the trigger.  If the MRI on Wayne reveals a season-ending tear, the phones of NFL GMs are going to start ringing.  A third or fourth round pick for a third wideout or center is likely to sound pretty good to a team looking to rebuild.

With Bradford out for the year, and the Rams up to their eyeballs in receivers, Les Snead might be a pretty good guy to call first.

Peyton Manning’s Return Happy for Indianapolis Colts Fans as Colts Triumph 39-33

by Kent Sterling

Andrew Luck was the better quarterback tonight, but the season is long, and the Broncos and Colts might not be finished with each other for 2013.

Andrew Luck was the better quarterback tonight, but the season is long, and the Broncos and Colts might not be finished with each other for 2013.

Tonight, Colts fans hoped they would be able to salute their hero, and watch the Colts pull the upset in a game that lived up to the hype.  Check and check.

Ill-timed Broncos turnovers and penalties doomed the previously undefeated Broncos to their first defeat.  The 39-33 score doesn’t tell the story of this game.

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The Colts played with urgency throughout the game, and the malaise that seemed to define them last week in San Diego was not repeated.  The defense was stout, and the offense was productive.

While the discussion all week centered on Peyton Manning’s return to the stadium his 13 years of work as quarterback provided, and whether owner Jim Irsay made the right call by releasing the guy who should be the the first statue outside Lucas Oil Stadium.

Tonight, the two had very similar passing stats until Manning became very pass happy late in the fourth quarter as he tried to rally the Broncos to a come from behind win.  Luck finished 21-38 for 228 and three TDs, while Manning was 29-49 for 386 yards, three TDs and one huge interception.  Luck squeaked by Manning with a quarterback rating advantage of 99.5 to 96.1.

There were other guys who were huge for the Colts:

  • Robert Mathis sacked Manning twice, and forced a fumble the Colts recovered for a safety
  • Jerrell Freeman and Antoine Bethea led the Colts with nine tackles
  • Pat Angerer picked off a pass
  • Pat McAfee averaged 49 yards per punt, pinning the Broncos inside their own 20 six times on nine punts, and laid a hellacious lick on return man Trindon Holliday
  • Erik Walden recovered the Manning fumble for the safety that gave the Colts two points that loomed very large late.

The Colts ran for 121 yards, but 29 came on four Luck scrambles, and another 30 were on a Darrius Heyward-Bey reverse.  Trent Richardson, Donald Brown, and Stanley Havili combined for 62 yards on 26 rushes.  And they still scored 39 points.

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All that hard hitting took a toll as Samson Satele, Reggie Wayne, Greg Toler, and Josh Gordy left the game, and others missed plays as they recovered from minor dings.

Wayne’s injury is especially troubling.  There was no contact when his knee gave way.  He put weight on it as he left the field, so there is reason for hope that the steadiest force on the Colts can continue his consecutive game streak.  It hit 189 tonight, and the last 71 with at least three catches.

The pregame was a little bit emotional for everyone, as the Colts honored Manning.  The City of Indianapolis got what it wanted today – the chance to collectively thank Manning for his years of greatness, and for turning a solid basketball town into one of the most vibrant football cities in America.  They also got to see the Colts run their record to 5-2 headed into the bye week.

The players need the bye to heal up and attack the remaining nine games on their schedule, and the city needs it because this felt a whole lot like a playoff game in January – for a lot of reasons.

There is a reasonably good chance that these two teams might hook up a second time.

IndyCar Finale Tonight – Defending Winner Ed Carpenter Talks MAVTV 500 at Fontana

by Kent Sterling

Pull up a chair, pour some Fuzzy's Vodka over ice, and check out Ed Carpenter try to repeat his 2012 win in the MAVTV 500 on NBC Sports at 8:30 tonight.

Pull up a chair, pour some Fuzzy’s Vodka over ice, and check out Ed Carpenter try to repeat his 2012 win in the MAVTV 500 on NBC Sports at 8:30 tonight.

IndyCar will call it a season tonight at Fontana, and the driver of the Fuzzy’s Vodka #20 Chevy is going to try to finish it tonight just as he did a year ago – with his only win of the season.

Next year will see the implementation of a more logical schedule that will avoid a five-week hiatus and conclude at Fontana with a Labor Day weekend race.

There has been a lot of issues that defied logic over the years in IndyCar, but the schedule that totally annihilated momentum as the season came to an end might have been the most damaging.

From the Grand Prix of Baltimore on September 1 until the The Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston on October 5, IndyCar was dark.  That’s being corrected which shows that Hulman CEO Mark Miles can see and correct obvious problems.  That should give fans some hope.

Another reason for hope are drivers like Carpenter who isn’t just a great oval racer, but a hell of a good guy.  He took some time this morning on 1070 the Fan to talk to Fox 59 sports director Chris Hagan and me about the race and the series.

Someone to root for is almost as important as someone to root against.  Carpenter is definitely someone to root for.

Rick Venturi Breaks Down the Football Challenges Presented by Peyton Manning’s Homecoming

by Kent Sterling

Former Colts head coach wants YOU! to understand the challenges the Colts will face against Peyton Manning.

Former Colts head coach wants YOU! to understand the challenges the Colts will face against Peyton Manning.

I’ve said it many times before, but if you want to know something about pro football, talking to longtime NFL defensive coordinator Rick Venturi is a great place to start.

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning presents a whole mess of problems for the defenses he dissects, and Venturi has some ideas about how the Colts might challenge him.

The return of LaRon Landry might be a big piece to the puzzle, as will be the availability of inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman.

You can hear the excitement in Venturi’s voice as he explains the strategies he would employ to provide Manning a long night in his homecoming.  He’s fond of calling difficult to scheme against offensive weapons “Ambien players” because they result in sleepless nights for defensive coaches, but plotting a defense against the ultimate challenge is what coaches live for, and it’s clear that Venturi would relish that challenge.

The sad part is that there will be no chance to test his scheme on the field, but there is also no chance to lose.

I can’t wait for the game, and it’s clear in listening to Rick that he can’t either.  If you plan on watching the game, you need to listen to this analysis to understand the challenges faced by the Colts as Indy’s favorite son returns to the house he built.

IU Punter Erich Toth Talks About His Roles as a Specialist for the Hoosiers

by Kent Sterling

Indiana punter Erich Toth (36) stands with fellow specialist Mitch Ewald (16).

Indiana punter Erich Toth (36) stands with fellow specialist Mitch Ewald (16).

I love talking to specialists.  You want great answers, ask a kicker, punter, or long-snapper a question.  Who’s a better talker for the Indianapolis Colts than punter Pat McAfee?  Kicker Adam Vinatieri isn’t far behind, and long snapper Matt Overton is pretty damn good too.

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At Indiana, Mitch Ewald is money, and Erich Toth is equally good.  The long snapper?  That will wait for another week.  As the Hoosiers prepare for their challenge today against Michigan at the Big House, I spoke to Toth about punting and holding for Ewald’s field goal and extra point attempts.

Specialists are a little like relief pitchers in baseball – they are only noticed when they screw up.  Bring in a lefty, like Randy Choate for the St. Louis Cardinals, to get one batter in a pressure situation, and he’s either a nearly anonymous entry in a box score after throwing a couple of pitches to get the out, or he’s in the headlines for grooving a pitch that lands in the bleachers.

With Toth, he either punts the ball the correct distance and direction or people in the stands point and swear.  As a holder, his work is even more critical.  The occasions when a holder screws up are so few and far in between that the errors during a close game are almost guaranteed to earn a spot on ESPN’s “Not the Top Ten.”

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Worse, teammates often treat the specialists with total indifference.  Very few teammates view them as bona fide football players.

Toth talks about his life as a kicker and hope that he will be able to to earn a chance to kick as well as punt.  His work today, as is always the case, will have a lot to do with the outcome of the game.

Today’s “Ahead of the Curve” (11a-1p) on 1070 the Fan Should Be Six Hours Long

by Kent Sterling

UnknownThe sheer tonnage of fascinating topics in sports will keep Fox 59 sports director Chris Hagan and me talking and listening all day, but only two of those hours will be spent of the radio today.  Peyton Manning’s homecoming tomorrow night, Indiana’s challenge at the Big House at 3:30 today, the Pacers winless in the preseason, IndyCar wrapping up its season tonight, the Cardinals wrapping up their 18th National League pennant last night behind rookie stud Michael Wacha, the Detroit Tigers trying to battle back in Boston tonight and tomorrow behind two of the best arms in the game, and the Fighting Irish hosting USC tonight scratch the surface.

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October is the best month on the calendar because every major league sport is playing games of some kind, and college basketball is getting ready to roll.

We’ll talk to three guests today – the great Rick Venturi will join us at 11:15a to talk about how Peyton Manning can be stopped.  This is a strategic booking as I am sick to death of talking about the rolling commentary by Jim Irsay, manning, and Bill Polian about why and how Manning was released.  Let’s play football for the love of God.  Coach Venturi will tell us how he would try to stop the offensive freight train Manning engineers.

Ed Carpenter drives the Fuzzy’s Vodka IndyCar, and tonight will bring the series finale to fans.  Carpenter isn’t in the championship hunt, but he’s a very smart guy with a Butler degree who has some interesting ideas about what steps IndyCar needs to take to take a step forward in the minds of race fans.

And we’ll talk to Indianapolis native Erich Toth, who punts for the Indiana Hoosiers.  Punting isn’t quite as easy as it looks, and Toth will talk about the pressure that punters feel as the field position of a game rests on their feet.  For all the importance of the behemoths on the lines, gazelle-esque athleticism of the wide receivers, and laser rocket arms of quarterbacks, specialists can either win or lose games just as easily, and Toth brings a very thoughtful perspective to his work.

Chris and I will share our picks for the weekend, and talk about the wreckage of the Dodgers Yasiel Puig that we witnessed last night at Busch Stadium.

We bust our ass every week to produce the best two hours of radio we can, and hope you enjoy it.  See you at 11a on 1070 the Fan.

Indianapolis Colts – Bill Polian Deserves Ring of Honor, But Also Deserved Pink Slip

by Kent Sterling

Yes, Bill Polian is the #1GM in the history of the NFL, and he should be honored by the Colts.

Yes, Bill Polian is the #1GM in the history of the NFL, and he should be honored by the Colts.

Bill Polian ran the Colts, and they went to the playoffs 11 times in 14 years, traveled to Miami twice for two Super Bowls, and won one.  He was a genius at building a roster behind the NFL’s best quarterback, and when the winning stopped, he was a goner – just like everyone else who loses.

At some point soon, the Colts should honor Polian with a place in the Ring of Honor because he did what he was paid to do as well as anyone in the history of the game.  Sure, he could be a petulant jerk, storming around the Colts Complex on 56th Street yelling and screaming at everyone over petty nonsense.  But Polian wasn’t hired to teach charm school.  He was brought to Indianapolis because when it came to assembling a roster, he was the best.

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The Buffalo Bills team he built played in four straight Super Bowls, and when Polian’s act became stale, he was dispatched.  You think the Bills would welcome a return to the success they enjoyed under Polian?  Hello to the Carolina Panthers, who under Polian went to the NFC Championship in their second year of existence.  He turned the Colts around just as quickly, with a 13-3 record in his second year.

That he wasn’t a cuddly fellow who dressed up as Santa and wore Hawaiian shirts every Friday is not at issue.  He built a championship quality team in record time through drafting to a specific model that allowed the Colts to draft and hold on to the best quarterback in NFL history.

The drafts that Polian used to re-stock the defensive secondary, both lines, and linebacker corps dried up after 2006.  The Midas touch abandoned him, and the Colts talent eroded.

He was sent packing without a lot of fanfare, as is usually the case when the prickly get canned.

Now, Polian shares his considerable wisdom on ESPN, and this week has provided some entertainment by expressing his cold dissatisfaction with Colts owner Jim Irsay’s appraisal of Polian’s “model.”  It’s one thing to get the ax.  It’s quite another to be insulted in the national media by a guy who inherited an NFL franchise.

In Polian’s mind, the smartest thing Irsay ever did was hire him, so the respect needed to accept criticism after the cessation of compensation was never there.  It can suck being an owner.  Everyone is nice because of what you can give them, not because of who you are.  Polian listened to Irsay because he had to listen, and Irsay was smart enough to know that his input was never needed.  On the flip side, Irsay has the free and clear ownership of an NFL franchise worth $1.2 billion.

For over a decade, Polian worked tirelessly to build a team that could contend for a championship, and not many have done that better.  Halas, Lombardi, Walsh, and Belichick are in the conversation, but for the period of 1999-2010, the Colts were the best regular season franchise in the history of the game.  That counts for something.

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Polian committed two fatal errors – his drafts were mediocre at best from 2007-2011, and he engineered the tanking of the undefeated season.  When Curtis Painter ran on to the field in the middle of the third quarter against the New York Jets on December 27, 2009, instead of Peyton Manning, Polian lost the players, ownership, and fans.

Right or wrong, Polian is blamed as the architect of the surrender, and that will forever taint an incredible legacy in Indianapolis.  Regardless of the drafts from 2007 forward, the white flag in Lucas Oil Stadium vs. the Jets, and the erratic temper that he showed, Polian was an outstanding architect, and deserves to be honored.

I’m afraid that like Bob Knight refusing to return to Assembly Hall, Polian would refuse to show for his ceremony.